February 22, 2023 – “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

With these solemn words, we are marked with ashes to begin the season of Lent. The ashes remind us that we have a limited time on this earth and that we should use it to treat others (and ourselves) with patience and compassion, as Jesus teaches us in his words and by his example.

At Gethsemani, we mark the day by fasting at the noon meal, being “content with bread and water” (the Constitutions of the OCSO, Statute 28.A), the bread in our case being a nice cornbread.

During the whole of Lent, our regular diet is circumscribed somewhat, and we spend our evenings doing extra lectio divina using books we have specifically chosen for the season. Extra prayer and extra care help us to be more conscious of our actions and thoughts during this season, bringing us closer to God and to our fellow human beings.